How nice to hear that almost everything was going well in his faction. Maybe Thalion should care more about the weak humans who died gathering materials for the base, but in this new world death was everywhere, and survival to old age was far from guaranteed. Quite the conundrum.
You no longer needed to fear cancer or other sicknesses while you could live for thousands of years, yet the constant wars and competition made it very difficult to survive more than a few years. Hopefully the situation would stabilize in the next years, but given what the system had in store for them, Thalion doubted it.
The integrated D-grade factions would very soon be able to enter the new universe, while there was also the whole matter with the Convergence and the Academy.
Kaldrek saw it like Thalion, and the two were about to have an awesome time while talking about the future of this base if it wasn't for Maike. Just when Kaldrek told him that even gods had their own alcoholic beverages, Maike stood up from her chair, walked over, and with a loud huff stopped right before them. To both it was like doom was arriving, and Thalion, not used to getting drunk anymore, couldn't hold his mouth.
"Finally. Wondered when you would join the fun." The Krakenink had really done a number on him, and he was feeling good after the first glass. Even in his slightly drunk state he noticed Maike's icy gaze on him.
"So you two have a good time?" Maike asked, her gaze switching between Kaldrek and Thalion. Her eyes narrowed quite a bit and reminded the two more of an eagle than anything else.
"Eh... Yes... You should hear what Thalion has to say about the third system event. We definitely need to tell the others that they shouldn't join it. You know how Josh and Jack are." Kaldrek tried, but his voice got weaker with every sentence.
"Did I miss something, or isn't it important that everyone knows what the third system event is about?" Thalion decided that he didn't like it when Maike was asking questions in such an ominous tone.
Yet, to the surprise of the two, Maike all of a sudden sat down beside Kaldrek, ripped the glass out of his hand, and downed it in one go. Especially Kaldrek looked like he was seeing ghosts, his gaze shifting between Maike and the damaged wall on the other side.
"Why is this so weak? Bring me something stronger." Maike huffed at Kaldrek, who very slowly got up while very carefully taking his glass back, afraid that it might end on the wall like all the others. Not leaving his gaze off Maike, he very slowly stepped over to the tall cupboard where he kept his stock.
Neither Thalion nor Kaldrek dared to speak and rather continued to treat Maike like a mine that would blow up at any moment. Still, it didn't stop Kaldrek from getting himself another glass so that he didn't need to stop while carefully selecting what to try next.
"What are you doing over there? Normally it doesn't take that long until you find something to drink." Maike blurted out quite loudly, and Thalion was pretty sure that keen ears might hear it on the street. He definitely needed to get the two a new home. At least something with proper sound insulation.
"Yes, but this is a special moment, and I want everything to be right." Kaldrek grinned widely when he came back with a whole tray not only filled with different kinds of drinks but also a few treats. There was something that looked like tiny cheese cubes, aged meat, fresh bread that was still steaming with a black crust on the edge, and a few more vegetables or fruits Thalion hadn't seen before.
"Your slowness shall be forgiven." Maike said and excitedly grabbed one of the fruits and shoved it into her mouth. Thalion and Kaldrek still didn't trust the calm and watched as Maike ate a few more fruits before also starting to drink again.
"Thalion, what was it about the third system event you wanted to say back then? Or did you?" Kaldrek asked, sitting down in the middle between Maike and Thalion, which made Thalion feel a lot safer.
"Eh, I guess. Tell the others that no one is allowed to enter the third system event besides Ricarda. It's going to be far worse than the second one, and that one had been a horrible mess. The administrator personally told me not to go into the third one with people I care for, and believe me, when R-87 is mentioning something like that you better believe it."
Seeing how Kaldrek and Maike were listening to him in awe, he really got started while also grabbing a bit of meat and bread. "I don't even want to think about what crazy trial R-87 comes up with. Lyran, the elf who made the second system event, let D-grade hunters chase us while he also gave them weapons that instantly killed us and armor making them invincible against attacks."
Maike and Kaldrek were fully captivated, but they weren't the only ones as Ricarda entered. She wasn't looking much better, and hearing about Thalion's honest opinion of the third system event didn't seem to help her current situation.
All three looked at her, sitting there on the couch completely relaxed, while Ricarda even shivered slightly standing there before them, and it looked like it took all her strength to bring out the first words.
"Maike... the vampires told me about the issue with the spiders and what happened yesterday in Section D. Ehh... I just want to say that... that the elves are being punished for such behavior."
She barely managed to get through the sentences, stuttering loudly while her gaze raced between Thalion, Kaldrek, and Maike.
"That was dearly needed. We had another incident with three elves ignoring their guard duty, allowing the spiders to eat a group of twelve humans." Maike said while shoving one of the fruits that looked like a green pearl into her mouth. A loud crunching sound followed as she bit down. "Mhm, we need more of those, Kaldrek."
Ricarda still looked perplexed, looking between them, before she didn't seem to be able to hold herself back any longer.
"Thalion! How can you be this relaxed when such a horrible system event is about to commence? Did you forget that you will face D grades, and not just some random D grades? It will be the strongest the new universe has to offer." Ricarda now even got loud, which was very rare for an elf.
"Hmm, I guess there have been too many deadly situations that it slightly lost its touch." Thalion shrugged, now slightly under the influence of the Krakenink again.
"You can't be serious. Do you know that many elves only started the plotting because they think you are definitely going to die?" Ricarda shouted loudly while waving with her right hand. A green tendril emerged from her clothes and gently caressed Ricarda's chin, which seemed to calm her down slightly.
It was hard for Thalion to find the right answer because it was hard to argue against logic. Ricarda was right. It wasn't looking especially good for him. He definitely wasn't in the position where he could win a fight against multiple Chosen, and it was still questionable if he could come out victorious in a one-versus-one. In the fight against the ants he had been rather confident, but after experiencing Eric's aura he wasn't so sure anymore.
Maybe Eric had consumed a special potion that strengthened his aura so that he looked far stronger in the show than he actually was? After what had happened it was definitely something Thalion believed Eric would try. Before he could say something, Ricarda began to cry.
"My plants are getting eaten by stupid ants when I'm not looking, and now I need to fight other D grades in the worst trial in existence."
Ricarda had sunk to the ground and tucked her head between her knees. That the door was still open probably wasn't a good thing, which Maike also noticed. The alcohol that Maike must have drunk took effect, and the gust of wind she sent to close the door was a bit too strong and ripped both the door and frame out, with both landing loudly on the street with a crashing sound.
"Ups..." Maike wanted to say more, but Ricarda hadn't noticed anything and just continued.
"I can't even properly prepare. Either I get told that elves had misbehaved and I need to find and talk with them. Then there is my patron trying to teach me. Of course there are the elves who are desperately trying to get my attention with all kinds of requests and presents.
Every time I go into the city the ants strike and eat my dear plants. I have never encountered a race this suited to killing plants." Ricarda was now completely sobbing, and the one time she looked up her eyes were red and tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Before the system I was just a little girl working on a farm. This all is getting far too much for me. I'm an outcast now, and the elves might even kill my family for it."
Seeing the sobbing Ricarda, Thalion wasn't sure what to say, but thankfully Kaldrek found the right words.
"I understand that this is a difficult situation, but it's only Thalion who needs to fight D-grade Chosen. Your position in the second system event was so bad that you definitely won't be facing another Chosen and maybe not even a D grade."
This was when Thalion remembered that he had kicked out Ryan a bit early and that he, on top of that, was a Fire Chosen, which also shouldn't be too bad against Ricarda's plants. Good that he hadn't been too drunk to say it out loud. In Ricarda's current situation, that wouldn't help in the slightest.
"Yes, I agree with Kaldrek. You are going to have a good time in the system event, and if there are stronger enemies, try to avoid them and snatch the big treasure in the end. That's how I have been doing it in the past events." Thalion tried to encourage the elf. That he would encourage an elf really wasn't something Thalion had believed himself doing.
"Hmph... Okay, I'm leaving. Maybe now Pikar has time for me. He is also angry at me because a few elves forced him to drink boiling water." Ricarda wiped her tears away and stumbled over the door lying outside on the street after leaving.
Thalion followed her with his Bloodvision. There was now a crowd standing outside on the street, watching her and listening in on their talk.
"I don't understand those elves. They are like women." Kaldrek commented into the silence, which earned him a slap on the back of his head.